Knitting method and machine



Oct. 25, 1938. H. E. HOUSEMAN 2,134,480

KNITTING METHOD AND MACHINE Filed Jan. 25. 1935 4 She'ets-Sheet l 8 a 3/ 33 3930 23 3724 2.4 36 30 24 a2 23 34 8 W 47 35 223 32 36 l i I i 68 y 6 l 66 Oct. 25, 1938. H E HQUSEMAN 2,134,480

KNITTING METHOD AND MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I34 I 47 7 4 P11 8 132 J .r/ ,53 j is? gf gfg 7 74 alga 9 M/VE/VTOR mr/vsss:

OCL 25,1938. HQUSEMAN 2,134,480

KNITTING METHOD AND MACHINE Oct. '25, 1938. H E HOU EMAN 2,134,480

KNITTING METHOD AND MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 W/f/VESS:

Patented Oct. 25, 1938 invent machm .n M .n U in prod tiojndf selective normaland reverse 1 pie.

or elements-assqdiatedf e f w is weliknownat the presentti the mar dated elements, the "feed of the yarns; etcg'; but:

l yivoliled some" variation in 1 move e t 15 -3 ers "or 'assbciatedl elements, the variatm .b :4 ontrolling= i'lmqcha-j attained m f s;

through jsiiitable The present invention is not concernediwith theparticulai 'manner*of cooperation: between the need1es,-sinkers or other elexnentsy aiid yarns; but f is concerned: primarily with? improved iicontrolling s i r J fiire us-gli ter l. t e i 7. ker g ii thrusts; there is la; definite iimit -to the character of ;-patterns-' which may be produced:- It is the broad obj ect of vthe present invention tovv provide; a; selecting lmethcdhand meansvgfor :securing the 55 ryin operationsgofl sinkers: or; the l keaat :de-a

- ,v a time s v Haroidfigl ousemanr liaconia, N. I fl rassiznorvto ion' relates to a knitting ilnethoii and has particular'reference to 'the inf-by selecti' enianipulationicf specialfls inl zfersf v r I p A 1 relating to details of'construction'"and manipn ser puon jconjnnctionwith tnejajc panying drawingsfin whichz'" nianipulatioris of speci-fally d'slgned sinkers for the stitches" are};

, takenon planes indicated" at 8 8 aiid 9 9 mea times; which'ineth a 'd pti-i" r sgr is a d agrammat c vertical "sectio' taken 5 oil the plane" indicated at i -fl in figs" 3 f thro'li' hfaneedlekylinder and asso "1a edjparts" illustrating certain elements used iniacordance with thinvention; Fig. 2 is' a"diagrammatic-perspective view indi cating the pr'odiict'ion of normal and reyer's'e :15 plating by normal and prematnre moyemen sinkers in accordance witli known-'iiiethoiis,

Fig; 3 Y is an insidedevelopment of various ne dleI' ja'cKisinker and'otherassociatedcams}; Jig? 4 a diagrammatic plari'"'view harm in? sectionf showing certain}'cams and ca controlling-means; '1 Fig? 5 isf'ahorizontal section showing contro'llin'g dev-ice's for efiecting-selection; j Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation showing he same slibject-inatterasF1235; if v 'Figa'l-is aseetion' similar to 1 "but taken on the*plane indicated at i-"- 1-"1n-Figs "-3 and '4 showing the premature pro ection 1 r "at-sink to'eflect reverse plating;

*FigssS and'9 are sectio'ns similar- 6 Fig.

i' FigSIO is a partiaisection' corresponding to Fig.- '7 but -showing a sinker which is ibeing pro c't at anormal time to 'efiect-normalplating The knitting machine which i'sspecifical1 lustrated for th'e" purpose iof showing the" inven= 1 non isyimgenera'l, ofconventionalcharactef'and only so" much :of the 1 machine is illustr'ated as is necessary for a' clear understanding of the in ventionlii "The machine comprises: an elongated J 1: rotary needle cylinder 2 rotated ithrough theme-"Q diuni'ofaa ring gear lfwhichcylirider is provided with the usual slots 6 for' the reception of needles and: other associated parts: The needles are"of the usual :latch 1 type andare prorided with butts l0 and shoulders I! -'loc'ated; asillustrated; b'ovethe;butts,e1

i Located inithene'edle'slcits above the shoulder 5 l 2 are :j ack lguides "i4 1 held normally in an u per position by spring bands 5| 1 above andbelow sniall projections indicated at 46; The projections I 6 are so formed as to tend/to llatch the jackiguides in 3 upper position, but when; s'ufficientaforce 1 is:

applied, tend to cam the lower of the spring bands outwardly to permit the jack guides to move down. Each of the jack guides is provided with a butt I8 designed to be acted upon by suitable cams as described hereafter. In order to provide for the proper guidance of jacks 20, each of the jack guides is provided with upper and lower arms, respectively designated at l9 and I5, designed to embrace the inner end of a jack 20 which is guided within a slot in sinker dial 28 aligned with a corresponding needle slot. Each of the jacks 20 is provided with an upwardly extending arm 23 having a laterally turned upper end designed to engage a downward projection 36 formed on an adjacent sinker. The corresponding sinkers are, of course, slightly displaced circumferentially from their operating jacks inasniuch as they must pass between the needles, and the turned ends of the arms 23 insure proper cooperation between the jacks and sinkers. Each of the jacks is, furthermore, provided with an upwardly extending butt 22 and one or more removable butts 83 at different heights. The butts 22 are arranged to be acted upon by cams at proper times to effect outward and inward movements of the'jacks, while the butts 83 may be selectively acted upon to effect additional inward movements thereof. While two positions are illustrated for butts 83, only a single butt, consisting merely of the outward edge of butt 22, may be used if only certain manipulations are desired, or, alternatively, if more elaborate control is wished, more than two butts 83 may be provided.

The sinker dial 28 is surmounted by the usual sinker cap 24 which carries sinker operating cams, described below, and is arranged for limited circumferential movement in the usual fashion. Besides the cams designed to operate on the butts 31 of the sinkers, this sinker cap also carries earns 25, 53 and 4| arranged to operate at suitable times upon the butts 22 of the jacks 26.

The sinker dial 28, which is slotted on its top for the sinkers and on its bottom for the jacks, rests on the cylinder walls at 5|. Four segmental clamp rings 26 pull the dial down against the cylinder walls and also form a fulcrum for the rocking of the jacks. The rings 26 are drawn downwardly by the clamps 21, two of which are provided for each segmental ring 26, the clamps being connected to the rings by screw 29 and engaging ledges formed on the cylinder walls.

Each sinker 30 is provided with an upper arm 32 having a sloping upper surface providing a ledge over which stitches are drawn and also a lower arm 34 guided in the cylinder top 35. Each of the sinkers is provided with a nose or nib 3| behind which there is a sloping edge 33 on which stitches are drawn to effect reverse plating. The sinkers are provided with the usual butts 31 acted upon by cams designed to impart to them their usual movements. The premature movements to effect reverse plating in the present instance are imparted by cams acting upon the butts 83 of jacks 26. Cams 43, 45 and 41 are provided to act upon the sinkers. Cams 43 and 4! effect the proper sinker movements during rotary knitting and reciprocation in a forward direction, while cams 43 and 45 effect corresponding movements during knitting in a reverse direction. A cam 4| is provided secured to the sinker cap to act upon the jack butts 22 and holds the jacks20inwardly at proper times to insure against their being thrown outward by centrifugal force.

Inasmuch as the usual cani 43 is cut away at its trailing end, considering the case of rotary knitting, in order to permit premature sinker movements, the-spring band 39 would normally tend to move the sinkers inwardly even though they were not acted upon by the jacks 20 and were not intended to move inwardly until acted upon by cam 41. In order to avoid such premature inward movement under spring band action,

there are preferably inserted in the sinker slots special band holding bits, one for each sinker, which are adapted to be acted on by a cam indicated at 49 to hold the spring bands outwardly until such time as the sinkers which are to produce normal plating are moved inwardly by cam 41. Such hand holding bits are well known and are not described herein,since they form no essential part of the present controlling means. They are shown, for example, in the patent to Pons No. 1,821,848, dated September 1, 1931. The cam 48 which controls them is located above the cam 43 and acts upon their butts, which are longer than the butts of the jacks 30.

Located in the needle slots below the needles are intermediate needle Jacks 38 provided with butts 40, while below these intermediate jacks are located lower tilting jacks 42 whose inner edges are so formed as to provide pivots 44 about which as horizontal axes the jacks may rock. At their lower ends the jacks 42 are provided with shoulders 46 adapted to engage cams, as will be hereafter more fully pointed out. The jacks are also provided below their pivots with butts 48 which may be selectively arranged for the purpose of producing patterns. The jacks may be supplied, for example, containing a full complement of butts which may be selectively broken out in order to provide the necessary setup for a desired pattern.

Referring to Fig. 3, there is disclosed therein the layout of cams arranged to act upon the needles, jacks 26, sinkers 30 and the butts of jack guides I4. and the intermediate and lower jacks 38 and 42. The needle stitch cams are of the usual variety and comprise the upper center cam 50 and the usual stitch drawing cams 52 and 54, the former of which serves to draw the needles downwardly during rotary knitting.

Cooperating with the lower jacks there are an upper cam 56 designed to rock the lower ends of the jacks outwardly and a series of lower cams 60 and 62 designed to rock the lower ends of the jacks inwardly. All of these cams are formed as levers and will be referred to hereafter. The lowermost of the cams designed to rock the jacks inwardly is designated differently from the others, since it performs a somewhat different function. In advance of the cams 66 there is located a fixed cam 58 which is designed to engage the shoulders 46 on the lower jacks and cause them to rise to a predetermined level before they reach the location of the cams 60. This action insures a proper vertical alignment between the butts on the jacks and the various corresponding cams 60. There is also provided, in a position following the cams 60, a cam 66 having an upward slope 64 on which the shoulder 46 of such of the jacks 42 as have their lower ends extending outwardly may ride, whereby such jacks will be raised. A slope 68 provided on the cam 66 serves to rock the lower ends of the jacks inwardly and thus disengage them from the top level of the cam 66. A guard cam 10 is provided to prevent possibility of damage to the jacks during reciprocation and limit their downward movements.

A cam I2 is provided designed to engage the butts I8 of raised jack guides I4 so as to depress all of the jack guides at its position. This is to prepare the jack guides for a subsequent selection.

Cams '4 and I6 are respectively designed to raise and lower needles by engagement with their butts I8 for purposes which will hereafter become apparent. The lowering action of cam 16 is continued by the usual guard cam 18. A ring of cams indicated at 8i serves to maintain the intermediate jacks within the needle slots. A cam face 88 on the lower portion of this series is adapted to engage the butts 48 of the intermediate jacks to lower them and with them the lower jacks 42. Levers 82 and 84 areprovided to act upon the butts 83 of'the horizontal sliding jacks 28. A cam 86 is provided to raise the needles to a desired level. It may be noted that the loops on needles which may be raised due to selection clear the latches as jacks pass up cam 64, while the loops on needles which are not raised clear the latches thereof at cam 54.

Besides the cams mentioned above, there are provided a cam arranged to raise jack guides I4 and a cam 53 carried by the sinker cap and arranged to engage butts 22 and move jacks outwardly. Both of these cams are used to avoid improper actions of the elements during reciprocation, and their functions will be brought out hereafter. Other cams are provided for the purpose of producing, for example, gusset toes, but need not be described since. they have no direct relationship to the present invention.

The layout of cams having been described, reference will now be made to their controlling means. The cams 82 and 84 are associated with duplicate operating devices indicated in Fig 4. Each cam is formed on the end of a lever which is pivoted at 88 and which is provided with a tail 98 having a cam surface93 held in engagement with the actuating end of a lever 94. Each lever 94 is provided with an elongated slot 96 receiving a vertical pin 98 and is urged by a spring I82 into engagement with an adjustable fixed stop screw I88. By this arrangement, as will be obvious, there is provided a fine adjustment of the position of each lever 94 and hence of the position of the cam 82. Fine adjustment is desirable to insure the proper movement of a prematurely actuated sinker. Each lever 94 is connected by a link I84 to a lever I86. The levers I86 are secured to individual ones of a series of nested vertically extended shafts which carry at their lower ends cam following levers I88 engageable under the action of springs I82 with suitable controlling cams II8 on the main cam drum III which is stepped about under chain control during the operation of the machine in the usual fashion.

The needle circle is approximately indicated at H4 in Fig. 4. The cams I4 and I6 are moved radially together and are carried by a sliding plunger 6 guided in a fixed portion of the machine and urged outwardly by a spring H8 into engagement with an adjustable stop screw I28 carried by the end of a lever I22 which is urged counterclockwise as viewed in plan by a spring I24 stronger than the spring I I8.

The cam I2 is carried by a similar plunger I26 urged outwardly by a spring I28. The plunger I26 is moved inwardly at the proper time by a clockwise movement of a cam I38 on a lever I32.

The levers I22 and I32 are mounted upon vertically extending nested shafts which, at their lower ends, carry camfollowing levers I36 and I38 engageable with suitable cams I48 carried by the pattern drum II I.

Control of the cams 68, which are formed as levers pivoted. at MI, is effected by the action upon tails thereof of tricks carried by a trick wheel I42. These tricks, which are receivable in slots in the trick wheel in the usual fashion, are provided with butts which may be selectively arranged to produce the desired control of the cams 68. The trick wheel I44 is stepped about intermittently by the action of a pawl I46 which is oscillated through the medium of a link I48 by the lever I58 which rides upon lugs carried by the links of a pattern chain, I52 which is advanced one step upon each revolution of the needle cylinder. By a suitable setup of the lugs on the pattern chain, the trick wheel may be advanced upon each revolution of the needle cylinder or at less frequent intervals. A guard I54 is provided for interrupting the advance of the trick wheel and forsecuring a setup thereof at the completion of a stocking, this being effected as described in the application of Stanley R. Shelmire, Ser. No. 623,857, filed July 18, 1932.

The cam 56 is formed on a lever which has a functionally integral, adjustable extension I55 connected by a link to a lever I 58 which is secured to one of a series of vertical nested shafts whose lower ends carry cams acted upon by cams on the pattern drum III.

If desired, the series ofcams 68 may operate in a plurality of sets. In the machine illustrated, for example, there are three such sets. By reason of such arrangement, there is made a convenient provision for the formation in a single stocking of three quite different independent patterns in diiferent portions thereof. For example, besides the usual normal and reverse plated pattern extending throughout the stocking, provision may be made for the formation of a clock or the like extending through only a'portion of the design. The groups of levers may be selectively rendered operative or inoperative by control of levers I68 which engage their rear ends and pull them away from the tricks on the trick wheel I42 against the action of the springs I6I. The levers I68 are independently controlled by links I62 connected to arms on three of the nested shafts hereafter referred to.

The lowermost cam 62, which is also pivoted at MI, is controlled by a connection through a link I64 to an arm carried by still another of the nested shafts.

Cam 5| is carried by a lever I18 connected by a link II2 to one of the set of nested shafts heretofore referred to as controlled by the main pattern drums. Normally this cam 5| is out of action under the influence of spring I14.

The yarns A and B, which are to be selectively normal and reverse plated, are fed to the needles in conventional fashion, for example, by being fed from yarn fingers 9 located in the throat II of the usual latch ring. If yarn changes are to be made, yarns carried by the different fingers may be selectively .brought into operation at predetermined times by the usual yam changing mechanism, involving conventional clamping and cutting devices.

The operations involved in producing norma and reverse plating by the mechanism just describedwill be readily understood froma consideration primarily of Figs. 3 and 4,. showing 10, showing the details of operation of the sinker cam 56.

controlling elements.

In Fig. 3 there are indicated, in dotted lines, the paths of characteristic parts of the various elements associated with the needles in the needle slots and the needles themselves. For example, at a and b there are indicated the alternative paths of the needle butts, at c and d there are indicated the alternative paths of the butts l8 of the jack guides l4, at e and f there are indicated the alternative paths of the shoulders 46 of the lower jacks 42, and at g and h there are indicated alternative paths of the butts 40 of the intermediate jacks 38. It will be noted that through the greater part of a revolution the butts of the needles and intermediate jacks and the shoulders of the lower jacks follow constant paths. The elements associated with the needle cylinder move to the left in Fig. 3 during rotary knitting.

} Initially, let it be assumed that a particular set of elements associated with one needle and an adjacent sinker are in such position that the upper end of the lower jack is at the position of At such time the jack guide l4 of this set of elements may be in either upper or lower position with its butt 18 following either path 0 or (1, depending upon the selection made prior to the previous stitch drawing operation. The intermediate jack 38 will have been lowered and will in turn have lowered the lower jack 42, the lower end of which will have been projected outwardly 'oy cam 56 if it had not previously been in such position. The sinker will be in its inner position. Jack 20 will be in an outer position depending upon whether or not it is raised or lowered. If it is raised, then it may be in an extreme outer position to which it would have been thrown by centrifugal action if unrestrained by friction. If it is in lower position, the turned end of its arm 23 will have been engaged, either centrifugally or due to the action of cam 53, with the annular shoulder 2 I of the upper portion of the cylinder wall. The needle will have been somewhat raised by cam 86 from its lowest stitch drawing position, but the loop thereon will not have cleared the latch.

As the rotation proceeds, the lower jack will ride upwardly over leveling cam 58 and its butts may or may not be engaged by one of the cams 60. This event is illustrated in Fig. 8, which figure shows the lower end of the lowerjack 42 pressed inwardly by the engagement with one of its butts of one of the cams 60. A jack, the lower end of which is rocked inwardly, will, in the next stitch drawing operation, determine the formation of the normal loop. Assuming that the lower jack under consideration was not acted upon by any of cams 60, its shoulder 46 will remain out in a position to ride up the slope 64 of cam 66 along the upper path 1. The butt of the intermediate jack will then follow path h and as the end of the rise is reached, the corresponding needle will be pushed upwardly so that its butt follows path 12 in position to later engage cam 14.

If, on the other hand, a lower jack is pressed inwardly by the action of one or more of cams 60, its shoulder 46 will fail to engage the slope 64 of cam 66 and will follow path e. The butt of the intermediate jack will then remain at the same level and move along path 9, and the needle butt will move along path a underneath the cam I4, so that it will not be raised by that cam.

In the meantime, the jack 20 will be pushed inwardly by the action of cam 4i and while this jack is held inwardly the butt of jack guide I4 hand, it it is in raised position, it will be lowered by cam 12 with the result that any jack passing this point will occupy the same lower position in which it will be yleldingly retained by the location of the lower of the spring bands I] above projection l6. The preliminary inward movement imparted to the jack 20 is for the purpose of insuring that the turned end of its arm 23 is inwardly of the shoulder 2| of the needle cylinder so that, if it is associated with a jack guide which is lowered,

, the turned end will pass downwardly inside the shoulder. If the jack 20 was held in its lower position, it will already have been restrained from outward movement by the engagement of the turned end of its arm 23 with shoulder 2| and will be moved only slightly inwardly by cam 4|. Fig. 9 illustrates the parts in the position occupied immediately after passing cam 12.

If the needle has been raised as indicated above, it will ride up cam 74 and the loop which it carries will pass below its latch. When it moves along the upper portion of the slope of cam 14, its shoulder will engage and move upwardly the jack guide l4, raising the butt of this guide to the level (1. Just prior to such rise, the cam 25 insures that the jack 20 is suificiently far out that if it rises, its arm 23 will not jam against the projection 36 on the bottom of the sinker. In general, centrifugal action upon the jacks insures that they occupy outer positions engaging the ledges of the segmental clamps. Fig. 1 shows the parts in the positions attained as the needle reaches the upper end of cam 14.

Following the selective rise of its jack guide l4, a raised needle will be lowered by cams l6 and 18, whereby it is brought to a level with the needles which were not previously raised to pass with the latter over cam 54, which serves to raise the last named needles to a latch clearing height. Simultaneously, the raised intermediate and lower jacks are moved downwardly by cam 80, any raised lower jack being previously forced off the cam surface 64 by the action of the face 68. Downward overrun of any lower jack is prevented by the cam 10.

Upon reaching cam 45, which only acts during reciprocation, the sinker will already occupy an inner position and consequently will be withdrawn by cam 43 together with its jack 20 if the latter is in upper position and has not already been thrown out centrifugally to the greater extent. Any yarns which may at such time lie behind the nose 3| of a sinker will be caused to clear the same and drop upon the sloping ledge 32. Thus, as yarns are taken for the formation of new loops, the yarns of the last formed course will lie upon the sloping ledges 32 of the sinkers.

As the position of cams 82 and 84 is reached, the needle will have taken yarns from the feeding fingers. Cam 82, or 84, or both, will project the jack 20 inwardly irrespective or whether it is in upper or lower position if it is supplied with a corresponding butt 83. If it is in upper position, its arm 23 will engage projection 36 of the sinker and impart to the sinker a premature inward movement so that the yarns are drawn over the edge 33 of the sinker behind its nose 3|, thus effecting reverse plating in the usual fashion. On the other hand, if the jack 20 were in lower position, inward movement imparted to it by cam of the stocking, normal plated kmttm V .eff e oted" th needles. Simultaneously,

how 9 Tin (21cm then during the forma 's do, r du c it z tsomw various portions of the (5 ing a selective ability or inability of certain jacks "1' 1."'-A":cir'cular knitting machine includin needl' cylinder; 1. e'edles 'slidable in" sai'weylifider, means for reeding 9; pliirality of hyarfis to the z n'e'dl'e and arrahged' to n gage' the yarnswhenstitehes are beihg drawn; elements individually assoeiated, 4 1 .iwith at l'east cert'ain ofsaid needles add-movable xinto alternativemositlonsimrefihscoomratingwith "the: elements? adjacent the st'itch drawing position @to -variou'sly"move= th'e membersa to 'efiectzthe proh duction of normalwori:revrsewplating depending variously imQVm needle elements. V

upon the; positions of elements: and-ameansl :for

,:-;p sitioni ng saidvielementswatf anzprior; location,

aid

yar

are being drawn, elements individually associated with at least certain of said needles and movable into alternative positions, means cooperating with the elements adjacent the stitch drawing position to variously move the members to effect the production of normal or reverse plating depending upon the positions of elements, and means for positioning said elements at a prior location, said last means including means for selectively variously moving needles associated with said elements, the needles being arranged to engage and move said elements during certain needle movements.

3. A circular knitting machine including a needle cylinder, needles slidable in said cylinder, means for feeding a plurality of yarns to the needles, members .movable between the needles and arranged to engage the yarns when stitches are being drawn, means for selectively positioning needles prior to the stitch drawing position, and means controlled by such selective positioning of the needles for variously moving the members adjacent the stitch drawing position to effect the production of normal or reverse plating.

4. A circular knitting machine including a needle cylinder, needles slidable in said cylinder, means for feeding a plurality of yarns to the needles, members movable between the needles and arranged to engage the yarns when stitches are being drawn, means for selectively positioning needles prior to the stitch drawing position, and means controlled by such selective positioning of the needles for variously moving the members adjacent the stitch drawing position to effect the production of normal or reverse plating, said needles serving to control such movements of adjacent members.

5. A circular knitting machine including a needle cylinder, needles slidable in said cylinder, means for feeding a. plurality of yarns to the needles, members movable between the needles and arranged to engage the yarns when stitches are being drawn, means for selectively positioning needles prior to the stitch drawing position, radially movable jacks positioned by said selective positioning of needles, and means acting on the jacks adjacent the stitch drawing position whereby movements are imparted to the members to effect normal or reverse plating depending upon the selective positioning of needles.

6. A circular knitting machine including a slotted needle cylinder, needles slidable in the slots of said cylinder, means for feeding a plurality of yarns to the needles, members movable between the needles and arranged to engage the yarns when stitches are being drawn, elements individually associated with at least certain of said needles within their slots and movable into alternative positions by certain movements of the corresponding needles, means cooperating with the elements adjacent the stitch drawing position to variously move the members to effect the production of normal or reverse plating depending upon the positions of the elements, and means for positioning said elements at a prior location, said last means including jacks movable in the needle slots below the needles and means for selectively actuating the jacks.

7. A circular knitting machine including a slotted needle cylinder, needles slidable in the slots of said cylinder, means for feeding a plurality of yarns to the needles, members movable between the needles and arranged to engage the yarns when stitches are being drawn, means for selectively positioning needles prior to the stitch drawing position, said last means including jacks movable in the needle slots below the needles and means for selectively actuating the jacks, and means controlled by such selective positioning of the needles for variously moving the members adjacent the stitch drawing position to effect the production of normal or reverse plating.

8. A circular knitting machine including a needle cylinder, needles slidable in said cylinder, means for feeding a plurality of yarns to the needles, members movable between the needles and arranged to engage the yarns when stitches are being drawn, radially movable jacks individually associated with the members, means for moving the jacks radially in one direction adjacent the stitch drawing position, and means for positioning the Jacks prior to such position, so that those in one position fail to engage their corresponding members when moved radially in said direction and those in another position engage their corresponding members when moved radially in said direction, to thereby eifect the selective production of normal or reverse plating.

9. A circular knitting machine including a needle cylinder, needles slidable in said cylinder, means for feeding a plurality of yarns to the needles, members movable between the needles and arranged to engage the yarns when stitches are being drawn, elements individually associated with at least certain of said needles and movable into alternative positions, means cooperating with the elements adjacent the stitch drawing position to variously move the members to effect the production of normal or reverse plating depending upon the positions of elements, means at a prior location for causing all of said elements to assume a predetermined position, means for selectively raising needles at an intermediate location to thereby selectively position said elements, and means for thereafter causing said needles to pass through their usual knitting wave.

10. A circular knitting machine including a needle cylinder, needles slidable in said cylinder, means for feeding a plurality of yarns to the needles, members movable between the needles and arranged to engage the yarns when stitches are being drawn, jacks carried by the needle cylinder associated with at least certain of said members, means for similarly continuously operating relatively to the needle cylinder at least certain of said jacks, jack controlling means, and pattern means for selectively positioning said controlling means so that said jacks are rendered either effective or ineffective to actuate said members when they are operated by said operating means.

11. The method of producing selective reverse plating by the selective actuation of members movable between the needles and arranged to engage yarns when stitches are being drawn, including feeding a plurality of yarns to a circular series of needles and moving said needles to produce stitches, acting near the stitch forming point in the same fashion in the formation of every course upon elements individually associated and rotatable with said members and selectively positioning said elements at a prior location, so that they may actuate their respective members when acted upon as aforesaid.

12. The method of producing selective reverse plating by the selective actuation of members movable between the needles and arranged to engage yarns when stitches are being drawn, including feeding a plurality of yarns to a circular series of needles and moving said needles to produce stitches, acting upon elements individually associated with said members to cause them to ,move said members to effect the selective production of normal or reverse plating, and selectively positioning said elements at a prior location by causing selective movements of needles associated with said elements.

13. A circular knitting machine including a needle cylinder, needles slidable in said cylinder, means for feeding a plurality of yarns to the needles, membersymovable. between the needles and arranged to engage the yarns when stitches are being drawn, jacks individually associated with at least some of said members and rotatable therewith, means for moving said jacks in the same fashion at every course of knitting adjacent the stitch drawing position, and selective positioning means for said jacks adapted to render them active upon their respective members to effect selective reverse plating when so moved.

14. A circular knitting machine including a needle cylinder, needles slidable in said cylinder, means for feeding a plurality of yarns to the needles, sinkers or like instrumentalities movable between the needles and adapted according to their position to so engage the yarns when stitches are being drawn as to effect either normal or reverse plating, jacks individually associated with at least someof said sinkers and rotatable therewith, means for moving said jacks in-thesame fashion in the formation of every course adjacent the stitch drawing position and selective positioning means for said jacks to render them active to move their respective sinkers to effect reverse plating when so moved.-

15. A circular knitting machine including a needle cylinder, needles slidable in said cylinder, means for feeding a plurality of yarns to the needles, members movable between the needles and arranged to engage the yarns when stitches are being drawn, elements individually associated with at least certain of said needles and movable axially of the needle cylinder into alternative positions, means moving radially, .adjacent the stitch'drawing position, elements located in one position to cause the elements to engage and move corresponding members to efiect reverse plating, and means for selectively positioning said elements axially of the needle cylinder at a prior location while they are out of engagement with said members.

16. A circular knitting machine including a needle cylinder, needles slidable in said cylinder, means for feeding a plurality of yarns to the needles, members movable between the needles and arranged to engage the yarns when stitches are being drawn, elements individually associated with at least certain of said needles and movable axially of the needle cylinder into alternative positions, means moving radially, adjacent the stitch drawing position, elements located in one position to cause the elements to move corresponding members to effect reverse plating, and means also individually associated with the needles for selectively positioning said elements axially of the needle cylinder at a prior the cylinder by axial movements only at a location prior to the point where stitches are drawn, and means for moving said jacks radially adjacent the stitch drawing position so that, dependent upon the selective positions of the jacks previously assumed, they may affect the move- ,ments of the members to efiect the production of normal or reverse plating.

18. A circular knitting machine including a needle cylinder, needles slidable in said cylinder, means for feeding a plurality of yarns to the needles, members movable between the needles and arranged to engage the yarns when stitches are being drawn, jack guides individually associated with at least certain of said needles and movable into alternative positions, jacks associated with said jack guides and located in al- Wsernative positions thereby, means for so aland arranged to engage the yarns when stitches are being drawn, jack guides individually associated with at least certain of said needles and movable into alternative positions, jacks associated with said jack guides and located in alternative positions thereby, means for so alternatively positioning said jack guides, at a location prior to the point where stitches are drawn, to alternatively position the jacks, and means for thereafter, adjacent the stitch drawing position, moving relatively to the needle cylinder the jacks thus alternatively positioned so that, if they are in, one position they fail to engage said members and normal plating results, and if they are in an alternative position they engage and move the members and reverse plating results.

20. A circular knitting machine including a needle cylinder, needles slidable in said cylinder, means for feeding a plurality of yarns to the needles, members movable between the needles and arranged to engage the yarns when stitches are being drawn, elements carried by the needle cylinder individually associated with at least certain of said needles and movable axially thereby into alternative positions, means for so alternatively positioning said elements at a location prior to the point where stitches are drawn,

, means cooperating with said elements in one alternative position for thereafter, adjacent the stitch drawing position, prematurely moving members relatively to the needle cylinder to ef-- feet the production of reverse plating, and means for moving other members relatively to the needle cylinder to effect the production of normal plating.

21. A circular knitting machine including a needle cylinder, needles slidable insaid cylinder, means for feeding a plurality of yarns to the needles, members movable between the needles and arranged to engage the yarns when stitches are being drawn, jack guides individually associated with at least certain of said needles and movable into alternative positions,

jacks associated with said jack guides and located thereby in active or inactive positions, means for so alternatively positioning said jack guides, at a location prior to the point where stitches are drawn, to alternatively position the Jacks in active or inactive positions, and means for thereafter, adjacent the stitch drawing position, moving relatively to the needle cylinder the jacks thus alternatively positioned so that those which have been located in active position will move corresponding members to effect reverse plating.

22. A circular knitting machine including a needle cylinder, needles slidable in said cylinder, means for feeding a plurality of yarns to the needles, members movable between the needles and arranged to engage the yarns when stitches are being drawn, elements carried by the needle cylinder individually associated with at least certain of said needles and movable axially into alternative positions, means for so alternatively positioning said elements, by axial movements only, at a location prior to the point where stitches are drawn, means cooperating with said elements in one alternative position for thereafter, adjacent the stitch drawing position, prematurely moving members relatively to the needle cylinder to effect the production of reverse plating, and means for moving other members relatively to the needle cylinder to effeet the production of normal plating.

23. Knitting mechanism comprising a bed and actuator means, said bed and said actuator means being relatively movable, a series of needles carried by said bed, a series of auxiliary knitting elements extending at a substantial angle to said bed and individual to at least certain of said needles, means to selectively operate said needles, and means to effect a selective operation of individual auxiliary knitting elements in response to the operation of the individual needles with which they are associated but subsequent thereto, said effecting means including means adapted to be set in accordance with the selective operation of the needles and also including means forming part of said actuator means.

24. Knitting mechanism comprising a bed and actuator means, said bed and said actuator means being relatively movable on said bed, means forming part of the actuator means to selectively control the operation of the needles, a series of auxiliary knitting elements extending at a substantial angle to said needle bed, anda series of control elements individual toat least certain of said needles and individually responsive to the movement thereof, said control'elements being adapted to control the actuation of said auxiliary knitting elements in response to the operation of another part of the actuator means.

25. Knitting'mechanism comprising a bed and actuator means, said bed and actuator means being relatively movable, a series of slots in said bed, a plurality of knitting elements movable longitudinally .in said slots, a series of auxiliary knitting elements and a series of control elements for said auxiliary knitting elements, said control elements being individual to at least certain of said knitting elements and being movable to operative position therewith, means to selectively impart longitudinal movement to said knitting elements, and means to selectively operate said auxiliary knitting elments in accordance with the positioning of said control elements.

26. Knitting mechanism comprising a bed and actuator means, said bed and said actuator mean being relatively movable, a series of needles carried by said bed, means forming part of the actuator means to selectively control the operation of the needles, 9. series of auxiliary knitting elements extending at a substantial angle to said needle bed, a series of controlled elements individually responsive to the operation of at least certain of said needles and adapted to have a setting imparted thereto by the needle operation, and means operative in accordance with the setting thereof to cause the selective operation of said auxiliary knitting elements in accordance with the setting of said control elements.

27. Knitting mechanism comprising a bed and actuator .means, said bed and actuator means being relatively movable, a series of slots in said bed, a plurality of needles movable longitudinally in said slots, a series of sinkers, a series of control elements for said sinkers, said control elements being individual to at last certain of said needles and being movable to operative position therewith, means to selectively impart longitudinal movement to said needles, and means to selectively operate said sinkers in accordance with the positioning of said control elements. I

HAROLD E. HOUSEMAN. 

